2024 Scholarship Winners
The Vegetarian Resource Group Awarded $30,000 in 2024 College Scholarships
Nancy Zhang—Indiana
$10,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
In my freshman year of high school, I quickly discovered how limited plant-based options at school were and had to do something about it. I founded the federal plant-based school food advocacy coalition, where I currently serve as vice-chair. I helped lead a USDA listening session with USDA officials, advocating for lessening restrictions on incorporating sustainable, nutritious plant-based foods into school cafeterias and federal institutions. 90% of Asian-Americans are lactose-intolerant, yet milk is mandatory on our trays at school, with no vegan options.
In further efforts to reduce restrictions to environmentally-friendly nutritious food, I have collaborated with my school's cafeteria for over three years to implement more vegan options in the lunch lines. The only vegan option my school had was a PB&J. My cafeteria staff and I were able to add a veggie grill with a vegan option every day. It has vegan chicken nuggets, buffalo wings, and a black bean burger. There's also a new side option of fiesta black beans. They are the first plant-based options the cafeteria has offered that has lasted more than one semester. The vegan options are official entrées and so they are covered under reduced price lunch. Fortunately, soymilk is served at my school (one of not many schools in the country). But it is treated as an àa carte item, so it's not able to be reimbursed by the National School Lunch Program. Thus, students who choose soymilk have to pay extra. Unless nondairy milk is able to be reimbursed to schools through federal policy, it won't be an option at schools alongside dairy milk for the same price. The ADD SOY Act was one of the bills that would make soymilk more accessible for students that I talked to legislators about last summer.
We did a taste test with several other options like a chickpea wrap, tofu fried rice, teriyaki tofu wrap, pasta with meatless crumbles, and nachos with meatless crumbles. However, since our school cafeteria is mostly heat-and-serve with over 5,400 students, the only options that would be sustainable on the menu were the ones we currently have.
Recently, I've been the first student speaker at Indy VegFest, where I gave a presentation on centering student voices in plant-based advocacy. Additionally, I am an intern at Balanced (a nonprofit that advocates for plant-based foods in institutional spaces), and have created a youth-advocacy guide to help others make changes to promote plant-based foods in their communities.
I was accepted to present at the Animal and Vegan Advocacy Summit on "How to Empower Youth in the Vegan Movement," and I was part of the planning committee for a student-led plant-based conference at Harvard. I also want to mention that I first found out about this scholarship last year from looking for vegetarian scholarships on Google, and reached out to one of the previous winners (Angelina Schapiro) because I was really interested in her work she mentioned on the website. I connected with her last summer, and she was one of my main inspirations in applying to Stanford. When I visit, I'll be staying in her dorm. I wouldn't have connected with Angelina if not for this scholarship and The VRG website, and so I am extremely grateful, and wanted to say thanks for connecting youth.
I intend to study human biology or earth systems, with a focus on nutrition and sustainable food systems. In college and beyond, I'm excited to keep pushing for more healthful and sustainable menus, and working towards a more just, plant-forward food system for all.
Satvika Iyer—California
$5,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
During Covid-19 restrictions, Satvika helped distribute food to families at a makeshift drive-thru. Dismayed at the unhealthy food provided, she partnered with a local farm, Veggielution, and created a plan to bring their produce to the federal distribution site. "It started off with flyers, and ramped up to brown bags filled with fruits and vegetables that I could hand to the cars along with their processed [food] packages. This was the first time the farm was directly connected to the local school district - Intrigued by the link of nutrition to the highly subsidized and destructive processes of factory farming, inefficient at its core, I reached out to my district's nutrition service directors. I have been a team member for the past three years - with items like chana masala and edamame fried rice now as permanent fixtures."
A reference from Friends of the Earth relayed about her further activism in Washington, DC: "Ms. Iyer spoke persuasively to her peers and to policy makers at USDA and in Congress about her own experiences that led her to become passionate about expanding climate-friendly, culturally appropriate lunch options in school - She led a rapid response effort to gather testimonies from youth, parents, and teachers about why they want to see more plant-based school menus and disseminated them to members of Congress ahead of a key vote on the child nutrition reauthorization bill.
Satvika will major in environmental economics and policy at the University of California Berkeley, and plans to pursue humanitarian engineering, social entrepreneurship, and policy careers that make sustainable choices readily accessible.
Cheyenne Klapper—Virginia
$5,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Cheyenne writes, "I became vegan when I was around 14 years old. For the past two years I have been working on a campaign advocating for plant-based Meals-Ready-To-Eat for military personnel. I have spent numerous hours speaking to political and military leaders about the importance of integrating a humane food option for military personnel. As president of my school's Environmental Club, I have actively promoted plant-based eating and veganism. I spoke to a school board member about the need for more plant-based options in Arlington Public School cafeterias. I have also created and presented a short documentary about the need for the United States to move away from its reliance on animal agriculture. At the Center for Youth and Family Advocacy Workshop, I spoke about the importance of eating more plants and the benefits, including lower blood pressure and other heart-healthy benefits, and increasing fiber intake. Being vegan is not a trend or hobby. Being vegan is who I am and the ethical guide I follow to live a life I deem morally sound.
"The most difficult challenge I have had to overcome was surgery due to cancer. In addition to the anxiety with a fear of reoccurrence, the surgery itself impeded me from doing the sport I love—weightlifting. My greatest successes include being a vegan who is a competitive weightlifter, going to states for track and field, and becoming a certified personal trainer."
We asked Cheyenne how she responds to other weightlifters who tell her that she needs to have animal protein. She related, "This comes up quite often. Typically, when I tell other lifters I am vegan, they look at me funny and ask, "How do you get your protein, though?' ME: "I get my protein from plants. How do you think the animals you eat get their protein?' THEM: They almost always say, "Plants, I guess.' ME; "Exactly, I just don't eat the middle man.' I believe I can serve as a role model for America's youth—as they will see and learn that a physically strong woman thrives as a vegan.
"I will promote veganism at the University of Virginia (UVA) by reviving the UVA Vegan Club and pushing to create a more humane campus. I will also use my degree and education to implement policy changes and work to further animal rights through politics and policy. I hope to get my law degree or a master's in public policy to learn the tools necessary to become an effective activist and advocate."
Greta Jennings—New Jersey
$5,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
Greta writes, "As I am in the Academy of Business and Finance at my school, I was most struck by the discovery that U.S. animal production incurs hundreds of billions of dollars in externalized societal costs, evident in our healthcare system and damaged environment. Within weeks of obtaining this haunting knowledge, I cut out meat from my diet completely and I eliminated dairy and eggs shortly after, becoming fully vegan.
"For the past four years, I have been a leader of my school's veganism club, Sprouting Change. By providing weekly meal plans for the annual Veganuary challenge, I have exposed participants to the fun and approachable side of veganism. Recognizing the need for ongoing year-round support, my team and I also compile comprehensive digital booklets featuring seasonal recipes with plant-based twists. At the end of my sophomore year, at my school's first-ever climate summit, I gave a presentation on the wide-ranging impacts of animal agriculture with regards to deforestation, land use, greenhouse gas emissions, and water footprint."
A reference for Greta said, "As the summer staff tossed ideas for superlatives for the program's end of year awards ceremony, they came close to awarding me the title of "most likely to convert you to veganism.'" Another of her projects was her podcast called EcoThreads, which explores the intersections of sustainability with different economic, political, environmental, and social issues.
At Cornell University, Greta aims to combine her academic and personal interests through a double major in economics and environmental studies.
Mara McQuirter—Washington, DC
$5,000 Vegetarian Resource Group Scholarship
I was very active in the Veg Society of DC Children's Playgroup, which my mother founded in 2010. I helped come up with ideas for activities and plan picnics, holiday parties, baking classes, movie nights, restaurant outings, ice skating, and more. Since I was one of the only children in the group that was vegan from birth and one of the oldest, I assisted the other children with how to navigate being the only vegan or vegetarian at school.
"When my aunt started her non-profit organization, Vegan Ingenuity, I created the logo for her brand. I also collaborated with her on ways to reach her goal of getting 10 million Black women worldwide to eat more plant-based food. I facilitated Zoom meetings that included hundreds of participants and featured speakers. For the past five years, I have helped at book talks, conferences, and festivals. The ones that stand out most are the Museum of the African Diaspora in San Francisco, CA; a book talk at the Book Larder bookstore in Seattle, WA; Vegan Soulfest in Baltimore, MD; the Farm Sanctuary Hoe Down; and of course the DC Vegfest. At festivals I help set up booths and answer questions. I also helped to implement new technology to facilitate easy sign-in for 10MBVW (10 Million Black Vegan Women campaign).
"I cofounded the food committee at my high school. Dublin, like most schools, struggles with finding the best meals to offer students who are vegetarian and vegan. As a food committee member, as well as student-government vice-president, I advocate for better vegan and vegetarian options for students and teachers. Collaborating with kitchen staff, I've worked to create new menus and brainstorm meal ideas. This work has been both challenging and rewarding. Incidentally, I also gained more respect for the kitchen staff because I witnessed firsthand how hard they work to provide food for so many people.
"I plan to attend Occidental College in Los Angeles, CA. My focus will be on environmental and climate justice. I'm concerned that so many people in the U.S. and beyond don't have access to clean water, soil, and air, largely due to factory farming, monocrops planted to feed farm animals, and the corporatization of basic human necessities. After college, I will go to law school with the goal of becoming an environmental lawyer."
Do you know an amazing vegan or vegetarian high school student?
Please tell them about our annual scholarship contest! The deadline for the next VRG scholarship contest for high school seniors graduating in 2025 is February 20, 2025. To see scholarship rules and past winners, visit vrg.org/student/scholar.htm
Support Young Veg Activists!
To send support for additional scholarships and internships, donate at vrg.org/donate, call (410) 366-8343, or send a donation to VRG, P.O. Box 1463, Baltimore, MD 21203.
VEGETARIAN RESOURCE GROUP INTERNSHIPS
Virtual and hybrid internship opportunities are available with VRG for students from middle or high school through undergraduate and graduate school levels. See vrg.org/student
